Page Numbering Moved to the Inside of the Page

Report · May 25, 2021

I added pages to documents in a book that I have been maintaining for a couple of years, and now there are 140 pages where the page numbers are on the inside of the page. And the problems are not sequential Is there a way to fix this? The book is 598 pages and comprized of 150 documents.

Report · May 25, 2021

Unfortunately you haven't given us much to go on.

Are your page numbers set properly on your master pages? and are your master pages properly applied?

It kinda sounds like some manual ovverides may have been done that have upset your master page items, but this is only a guess not seeing your file or a screen grab of the issue.

Report · May 25, 2021

I did some work on the Master pages today, and that is a first. I did override on 2 particular, forcing the elements into the correct position. I did not create the original and do not know how my predecessor organized the book. Myself and a coworker have just been adding to the original and making it more complex as we go.

Report · May 25, 2021

I'm also lacking enough information to help. It's not clear if this is a single document with 598 pages, or whether you're using InDesign's Book feature (File > New > Book) to combine a number of documents into a Book file. Can you tell us more information about how it was created.

Report · May 25, 2021

Thanks for responding.

I am using InDesign's Book feature (File > New > Book); 160 documents totaling 598 pages. The documents are complex (for me), and this is the first big edit I have done (like adding pages to the individual documents.

Report · May 25, 2021

Is it possible that these are facing pages, but basedon a single-page master page and the pages have switched left/right position in the book due to a a change in page count in either this or a previous document?

Report · May 25, 2021

Can you check the alignment of the page numbers on the master page. The correct thing to do if you want page numbers on the outside is to set the alignment to Away From Spine. This presumes that you have a real facing-page document, and not one that was sort-of faked the way Peter has described. What could have happened is that the left master page had it's page number set to left align, and the right was set to right align. If document pages switched position, their alignment would now be as if you had set the alignment to Toward Spine. You may be able to fix this by setting the alignment on the master page text frames that hold the page numbers on the master page. If you have overridden those frames on document pages, re-applying the master page could work, depending on how many other local overrides you have made.

Report · May 25, 2021

Which alignment and language have the numbers?

Report · May 26, 2021

I have the Master page open (allow override), and have selected the textbook that populates with the page number. I have opened the text box options, but do not see alignment (align away from spine).

The master pages have both single and 2 page spreads.

Report · May 26, 2021

If you have facing pages make all master with 2 pages as it happens often, that InDesign takes the single page master on the wrong side of life.
Apply to the page number always a paragraph style with the correct language (it is important as some languages have different numbers per default) and alignment away from spine.
Use for the page number a deticated text frame outside the margins with size, ignore text wrap, position and paragraph specified.
Put the page number frames together with any running header text frames on an extra layer on top of the other content layers.
Avoid overriding of any frame on a page, only on masters based on other masters overrides will help.

Report · May 26, 2021

Thank you for your help.

By language, do you mean that the document is in english?

Report · Jul 05, 2021

Language is Paragraph or Character Style here.

Report · May 26, 2021

One one of the problem pages, what happens if you select it in the Pages Panel, and then option-click on the master page that is assigned to it. Does that change the position? (this maay alter any other master page items that were overriden, but at least this may help where the problem started)

Can you show us a screen shot of one of the problem files, in particular the Pages panel. (like attached)

If you like, but don't want to publicly post one of the problem files due to proprietary content, I can take a look at one privately if you like. Otherwise, we may be just going in circles guessing.

Report · Jul 05, 2021

I am just getting back to this problem that you have been helping me with.

To recap, the page numbering is correct, but is not positioned correctly on the page (towards the spine instead of away from the spine). I cannot detect any pattern.
I had problems inserting new pages, and checked and unchecked Allow Document Pages to Shuffle, and Allow Selected Spread to Shuffle.

This list describe the pics I have attached:

1 are some of the documents that make up the book

1.5 is a section with page numbering is in the correct location on the page.

2 is the last good page

3 is the beginning of the bad numbering postition.

4 is a section of bad numbering

5 is a correctly positioned page number

6 is back to page numbering in the wrong location.

Report · Jul 05, 2021

Okay: let's look at the one that starts 201.

when you select the first spread (i.e. [201-202] are both Allow Document Pages to Shuffle and Allow Selected Spread to Shuffle currently unchecked?

If so check Allow Selected Spread to Shuffle. This should remove the brackets from the page numbers.

Now check Allow Document Pages to Shuffle. This should throw up the warning "Do you want to maintain...?" Click No.

Did this fix things?

Report · Jul 05, 2021

I did get the brackets to go away. When I checked the Document Shuffle, then no, text was pushed off the page. This seems like another problem; I have seen this before.

Report · Jul 06, 2021

Just some text?

Did the pages go back to where they should be, though?.. i.e. did 201 return to being a right hand page on the first spread?.

Since somehow the pages got switched, any objects that may have overlapped onto the other page might get associated with the other page and travel with it.

It's hard to know how to fix things without actually seeing the file... sorry!

Report · Jul 06, 2021

I checked the spread shuffle on the problem documents, but the location of the page numbering did not change. The document shuffle has showed that there is a grouping of the paired pages on a spread that move together, leaving one grouped page hanging off the page.

I am the third person working on this book, with both of my prior coworkers retired.

I will continue to work on this.

Thanks for your insight.

Report · Jul 09, 2021

The page number position problem was fixed when I did the following (as suggested): I have begun going through each document, ungrouping the text across the spreads (which I assume was done to keep the text from moving out of postition), checking the Spread Shuffle, then the Document Shuffle. I then have to move the page group back onto the page.

Is there any way to keep this from happening? And what happens if I say to keep the page numbering:

Report · May 12, 2024

This just happened to me for the first time. When I turned my facing page document into single pages by deselecting facing pages all the page numbers defaulted to using the left page number position. This has never been an issue. Any idea how to fix it?

Report · May 13, 2024

That you should never do. Why did you that?

Report · May 12, 2024

I am also the lack enough information to help. It's not clear if this is a single 598-page document, or if you're using InDesign's book feature (File > New > Book) to combine multiple documents into a book file. Can you tell us more about how it was made?